


Don't Call Me Baby (Unless You Mean It)

by laylabinx



Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Badly, Billy is a precious cinnamon roll who needs to be protected at all costs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Jason also gets his ass kicked, Jason is a good leader, Kim and Trini are awesome girlfriends, M/M, Mentions of Mental Illness, Mentions of terminal illness, Odd Coping Mechanisms, Sharing a Bed, Temporary Character Death, Whump, Zack is really good at sneaking through windows, Zack needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-25 01:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10754238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylabinx/pseuds/laylabinx
Summary: It’s 3:28 in the morning when Zack climbs through his window. He opens his eyes and looks across the room and the other Ranger is just sitting there underneath the window with his back against the wall. He grins widely when Jason sees him. “Evening, Red!”





	1. Window locks are a myth

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! So I unashamedly loved this movie; it was the perfect dose of nostalgia and made me feel like a kid again. I also left shipping these two like crazy and this idea popped in my head and nagged at me until it was written so here we are. Anyway, hope you all like it! :D

It’s 3:28 in the morning when Zack climbs through his window. Jason doesn’t hear him so much as just suddenly becomes _aware_ of his presence. He opens his eyes and looks across the room and the other Ranger is just sitting there underneath the window with his back against the wall. He grins widely when Jason sees him. “Evening, Red!”

Jason stares for a solid twenty seconds before his brain finally registers what he’s seeing. The past several weeks have been interesting to say the least: he’s gained superpowers, found a multi-millennia old spaceship buried in a middle of a mountain, defeated a crazed ex-Ranger and her massive golden murderbot. Typical teen stuff. But for some reason seeing Zack Taylor sitting in his room in the middle of the night makes him do a doubletake.

“Zack,” he starts slowly, still trying to determine if he’s asleep or not. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Sitting,” the Black Ranger says simply as if the answer doesn’t require any further explanation.

“Yeah, I see that. But why?”

“Because standing was boring,” Zack answers with a loose shrug.

Jason resists the urge to sigh. He opens his mouth to say something else but the other teen cuts him off before he can. “You know, you should really think about locking your windows at night. No telling what kind of crazies are out there.”

Jason rolls his eyes. “I have a pretty good idea because one of them is in here now.” He pushes himself up off the mattress and stalks across the room to the aforementioned window. He knows for a fact he locked it before bed (Kimberly had snuck in the same way a few weeks ago and he was hyper aware of it now) so there was no way Zack could have gotten through unless he-

Jason turns to face him again. “You picked the lock, didn’t you?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny,” Zack tells him with another breezy grin, holding his hands up innocently. “But yes, I picked the lock.”

“Why?”

“Seemed like a thing to do,” Zack replies with the same level of disinterest and dismissal as before. He pushes himself up off the floor and circles Jason’s room slowly like he’s examining an exhibit at a museum. “Wow, there is a sickening number of trophies in here.”

“Zack, what are you doing here?” Jason tries again because honestly he’s just exhausted and the sooner he gets an answer out of his fellow Ranger, the sooner he can go back to sleep.

“I couldn’t sleep,” the other teen answers vaguely, casting a glance over his shoulder. “I figured you’d be awake.”

“It’s 3:30 in the morning. Why the hell would you think I would be awake?”

Zack shrugs again. “I dunno. I figured you’d be elbow deep in planning or team organization, oh great leader,” he says, the jibe good-natured and teasing.

“Zack,” Jason says again, putting some of that oh-great-leader tone into his voice. It has the desired effect and Zack stops circling to look back at him. “What are you really doing here?”

There’s a very brief flicker of _something_ that crosses Zack’s face. It’s lightning quick and fleeting and disappears a split second later. He grins again but this time it appear wan and thin. “I didn’t want to stay at the trailer tonight,” he answers finally, voice a bit quieter and more somber. “My mom, she…” he sighs and shakes his head slightly before continuing. “She was having a bad day today. She was disoriented and confused, I couldn’t get her to eat anything...it was just a bad day.”

Jason nods slowly in understanding; he’s listened to Zack talk about his mom enough to know that sometimes the medicine she’s taking will cause some rather upsetting side effects. “Do you think it’s okay to leave her alone if she’s confused like that?”

The other Ranger shakes his head once. “Leslie is with her tonight; she should be okay after she gets some rest.”

Jason nods again. Leslie was a family friend who stopped by the trailer a few times a week to help Zack take care of his mother. Zack had known her since he was a child and she was good friends with his mother. On top of basically being his godmother, Leslie was a registered nurse so she made it a point to come by the trailer at least two or three times a week to check on them.

“I knew she would be in good hands so I ducked out a few hours ago,” Zack continues, making it a point to reset his nonchalant, neutral expression. He grins over his shoulder again like nothing happened. “Not a lot of people out this time of night. It’s kinda nice.”

Jason watches him carefully, arms crossed loosely over his chest. “So what brought you here?” he asks, nodding to the bedroom they were currently standing in.

The Black Ranger shrugs one shoulder. “I’ve been everywhere else,” he answers vaguely, gesturing toward the still-locked window. “Sometimes I just like to walk, you know? Start off in a direction and keep walking until I end up somewhere. It helps me think, clear my head.” He looks out the window across the sleeping town.

“I’ve gone to Billy’s a couple times,” he continues before Jason can say anything. “Helped him out with a few projects he was working on down in the basement. Kid’s a genius, you know; it’s incredible. Last time I was there, though, I figured he was pretty deep into something and I didn’t want to interrupt so I haven’t been back in a while.”

He taps his fingers against the window pane softly. “I went to Kimberly’s place too. And Trini’s. But once they started dating I figured it’d be weird for me to show up in the middle of the night like that so I stopped.”

Jason listens to all of this and wonders why he feels just a tiny bit miffed that he’s the last person Zack thought to come to. Granted, he’s not overly wild about the idea of someone creeping through his windows at night but still, he’s a little upset that Zack felt like he couldn’t come to him earlier.

“So that’s what prompted you to pick my locks?” he asks evenly, glancing toward the window. “I was the last resort?” He doesn’t mean for it to sound as petulant as it does but it’s unavoidable.

Zack watches him for a second, smile faltering briefly. Then he shrugs, huffs a soft laugh, and shakes his head. “No, you know, you’re right. I shouldn’t have come over here.” He offers another grin but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Sorry for the intrusion, Red. I’ll get out of your hair.”

He starts toward the window again but Jason steps in front of him, blocking his path. “Zack,” he says quietly, evenly like he’s speaking to a jittery child. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not kicking you out.” He presses his shoulders against the window pane and suppresses the shiver that accompanies the feeling of cold glass against his skin.

“Why did you come here?” he asks again because he needs to hear Zack say it. He knows the answer already but for some reason he needs to hear it out loud.

The other Ranger is silent for several seconds, expression dark and unreadable. Finally, he lets out a breath and his shoulders slump like he’s visibly deflating beneath the weight of everything. “I didn’t want to be alone tonight.”

Jason just nods in understanding. He had expected as much; for all the effort Zack puts into his aloof yet eccentric behavior there’s a definite undercurrent of vulnerability to him. He’s worried about his mom, worried about about how much longer she has and if he’ll be able to do enough for here. It’s an enormous amount of pressure to bear and Jason is all too aware of just how debilitating pressure can be.

“Then you won’t be,” he tells his fellow Ranger simply, reaching out and clapping a hand on Zack’s shoulder. “You’re always welcome here, Zack, anytime. Just don’t get the cops called on you, alright? Pretty sure my dad has had his fair share of meetings with the boys in the blue lately; I doubt he’s ready for a repeat.”

A fleeting look of relief passes over Zack’s face and he grins brightly in the darkness of the room. “Aye, aye fearless leader.”

Jason smiles faintly. “Good.” He hesitates for a second or so, debating whether or not he should say what’s on his mind, before finally giving in. “Hey, you know, if you ever want to talk about your mom or anything-”

Zack offers him an appreciative smile but shakes his head. “Thanks for the offer, Red, but I’m okay. It just gets to be a little too much sometimes, you know? I just needed to get out and find a place to crash for a while.”

The Red Ranger looks around his room briefly, notices the lack of additional sleeping space, and frowns. “I can probably find some extra blankets downstairs-”

Once again, Zack shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, dude. I didn’t come here for a slumber party and I’m not exactly tired right now. I just want to hang out here for a little bit if that’s okay.”

Jason nods in understanding. “Yeah, alright. That’s fine, take all the time you need.”

“Thanks, man,” the other teen says, flashing another bright grin and walking over to the window near the wall, sliding back down to sit under it. He settles in with his back pressed against the wall, knees drawn up slightly.

“You can go back to sleep if you want. Good thing about being a delinquent is I don’t have to worry about going to school in the morning.”

“True, but it’s pretty weird to sleep with another guy hanging out in my room,” Jason remarks, dropping back onto the edge of his mattress slowly.

Zack flashes a devious, somewhat flirtatious smirk. “Don’t worry, Red, your virtue is safe with me. I promise not to take advantage of your delicate sensibilities. Unless you want me to,” he says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Jason huffs a short laugh and shakes his head. “You’re such a creep,” he mumbles, tossing an extra pillow to his teammate. Zack catches it easily and tucks it behind his head. “Get some sleep if you want,” Jason tells him as he stretches back out across the mattress. “You’re safe here.”

A rare, real smile tugs at the corner of Zack’s mouth and he nods. “Thanks, Jas.”

When Jason falls back asleep that night, Zack is still sitting beneath the window, gazing up at the stars over his shoulder. When he wakes up in the morning, Zack is gone and the pillow is back on the bed. The windows are locked. Jason vaguely wonders if it ever happened at all.


	2. I love a rainy night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are you doing out in this weather? It’s freezing outside and I’m pretty sure we’re under a tornado watch until midnight. You’re lucky you didn’t get struck by lightning walking over here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always a slut for scenarios involving sharing body heat so this was a fun chapter to write. Hope you all like it! :D

Zack crawls through his window again two days later. It’s storming like crazy outside and the night sky is illuminated almost constantly with brilliant streaks of lightning. A dull, vibrating roll of thunder rattles the windows and grumbles like a great, hidden beast up in the clouds. It’s going to be like this all night and clear into the next few days.

Jason is surprised to see Zack standing in his bedroom when he walks back in from taking a shower. He jumps slightly, reflexes tense and coil-tight, before realizing who’s standing in the dark by the window. “Zack?” he asks, although he doesn’t really need the clarification.

“Hey Red,” the other teen greets with his trademark grin. He’s soaked to the skin, dark hair dripping and wet clothes clinging to him tightly. His skin looks paler than usual in the darkness of the room and he’s not shivering but he probably should be. The storm outside was bringing a massive cold front with it and it was easily fifty degrees outside.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asks in a whispered hiss. It’s a little past 10:30 and he knows his parents are still awake downstairs. They’d stopped doing bedroom checks on him when he hit about thirteen but he’d really like to give them a reason to check again because they heard voices. Also, he would _love_ to not have to explain why a soaking wet teenage boy is standing in the middle of his bedroom grinning like a lunatic.

For a split second, a look of hesitation crosses Zack’s face. “Does your offer not stand anymore?”

Jason’s shoulders slump a little and he resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Of course it still stands. I meant what are you doing out in this weather? It’s freezing outside and I’m pretty sure we’re under a tornado watch until midnight. You’re lucky you didn’t get struck by lightning walking over here.”

The Black Ranger shrugs and his clothes drip with the movement. “Leslie was worried about my mom staying in the trailer tonight because of the weather so she took her over to her place. She took me too but I got restless so now I’m here.”

“You seriously decided to take a midnight stroll in the middle of a hurricane?”

Zack grins and shrugs again. “What can I say? I like the thrill. You haven’t lived until a gust of wind knocks you into a parked car.”

Once again Jason resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Alright, well I’m saying you stay here for the rest of the night, no exceptions. This storm is supposed to get worse before it gets better and I’m not too keen on the idea of you walking around in the middle of it.”

He walks over to his dresser and plucks a spare shirt and a pair of sweatpants from one of the drawers. “Here,” he says, turning over one shoulder and tossing them at Zack. “Put these on.”

Zack catches the clothes without breaking eye contact with Jason from across the room. “Trying to get me naked already?” he asks with a suggestive smirk. He then adopts a heavy, overly dramatic Southern accent and says, “why, Mr. Scott, I do declare.”

Jason does roll his eyes this time. “God, you’re weird.” He grabs some socks from the dresser as well and tosses them to his soaked teammate. “The bathroom is next door,” he says, nodding toward the hallway. “You can take a shower if you’d like but at least change clothes so you’re not dripping on my floor anymore.”

The other Ranger just smirks and nods, making his way toward the door. “Can’t argue with that logic,” he says over his shoulder as he ducks out of the room and disappears into the bathroom a split second later.

Jason waits in tense, apprehensive silence for a few minutes, listening carefully for any indication that his parents are coming upstairs. The door handle jiggles about five minutes later and he tenses involuntarily before Zack strolls back into the room. “That’s some nice grout work in your bathroom, Jas,” he says as he saunters in, wet clothes wrapped in a towel. “Real pro stuff.”

The Red Ranger sighs and takes the wadded, wet bundle from his teammate. “I’ll be sure to pass along the compliment,” he mutters as he sets the already damp towel bundle on the floor near the hamper. “Once I’m sure everyone’s asleep I’ll take these downstairs and put them in the dryer for you.”

Zack shrugs and waves him off. “They’re just clothes, dude, they’ll dry on their own. Don’t worry about it.” He probably tries really hard to hide it but Jason sees the suppressed shiver that works its way through him as he speaks. He also notices the slight chatter of his teeth when he speaks.

“Com’ere,” he says, nodding toward the bed. “We need to get you warmed up before you develop pneumonia.” He fixes Zack with a mild glare before the other teen can say anything. “And any innuendos or sexual comments will earn you a one-way ticket back outside, got it?”

Zack holds both hands up innocently and nods, walking over the bed and sinking down onto one side of it. For once he looks hesitant and unsure, not quite uncomfortable but definitely wary.

It’s Jason’s turn to flash a smirk. “Relax, man, I’m not going to bite. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t become hypothermic.” He drops down onto the other side of the mattress and pushes a handful of blanket toward  
Zack. “It’s this or the floor and I guarantee the bed is a lot warmer and more comfortable.”

A small, half-hearted smirk tugs at the corner of Zack’s mouth. “You drive a hard bargain, Red,” he mumbles but he obliges, grabbing the offered blanket and settling back against the mattress.

For several moments neither of them talk, the only sound filling the bedroom coming from the low, constant grumble of thunder and the thick sheets of rain that are plastering the windows. Zack is still shivering even though he’s bundled up to his chin with the blankets and he’s trying to play it cool but Jason isn’t fooled.

“Listen,” he says after another second or so of contemplation. “Don’t make this weird or anything, okay?” He then slides across the mattress and grabs a fistful of Zack’s (his?) shirt and tugs the other boy back against his chest. He loops his arms around him and holds him close, resting the point of his chin against Zack’s shoulder blade.

It’s quiet again and it seems like both of them are holding their breath. It’s not an uncomfortable position, not by a long shot, but it’s definitely different. One of Jason’s arms is pressed against Zack’s ribs and he can feel the other boy’s heart thumping against his wrist.

“Are we spooning?” Zack asks suddenly but he doesn’t sound alarmed or bothered by the prospect, just genuinely curious. “Because I feel like we’re spooning.”

“Spooning. Sharing body heat. Warding off hypothermia. All nuances,” Jason mutters against his shoulder, keeping both arms looped around the other teen. “Believe it or not, I actually paid attention in health class and learned a bit about first aid for hypothermia. Sharing body heat is the best way to regulate your core temperature.”

“I’m going to start calling you Florence Nightingale.”

“Shut up.”

“Never.”

Another loud, reverberating crack of thunder rattles the house, jostling the windows and causing both teens to freeze for a moment. After it dissipates, they both relax against the mattress.

Zack gets fidgety after about five minutes. He twitches and shuffles and huffs in irritation before finally giving up. “Here,” he says, sitting up a little and propping himself on one elbow. “This isn’t working. Switch with me.”

“Switch with you?”

“Yeah, Red, switch,” he says, motioning for Jason to flip over. “Let me be the big spoon for a while.”

“No way in hell,” Jason snaps back a bit defensively because hey, if he’s going to be cuddling with another man there is absolutely no way he’s going to be the little spoon. Also, it’s his bed. His bed, his rules. So...yeah, there.

Zack, even though Jason said none of that out loud, is unimpressed with the whole dialogue of logic that just zapped its way through Jason’s brain. Apparently the look on his face is enough.

“Jason, look,” he says, trying to rationalize with his team leader about why he should be the big spoon in this situation and wow, life is just a rich tapestry of the unexpected, isn’t it? “I’m taller than you and my legs are longer. Me behind you makes a lot more sense than you behind me. It’s like that scene from _The Empire Strikes Back_ when Yoda was ridin’ bitch on Luke’s shoulder; it’s weird man.”

“This whole conversation is weird,” Jason grouses, pushing himself up onto one elbow as well. He’s adamant about not giving up his position but he also knows Zack has a point. The other boy is about two inches taller than him and makes up for it in his legs; it’s like sharing a bed with a baby giraffe. He grumbles something unflattering beneath his breath and sighs heavily.

“Fine,” he relents with a mildly irritated huff. He doesn’t give Zack a chance to comment further before he flips himself over to his other side. He can feel the other Ranger shifting a bit behind him, getting more comfortable, and then Zack’s chest is pressed against his back, one long arm draping over his side.

“See? Better,” Zack says once he’s laid back down and he probably doesn’t mean for it to sound triumphant but it does.

“Weirdly, yeah, it is,” Jason mutters in allowance, shifting just a bit beneath the heavy weight of Zack’s arm. It’s oddly comforting, both the warmth and solidity of someone else sharing the bed. Jason refuses to say anything about it though because Zack has already won one battle tonight and he’s not giving him another. “Now shut up and go to sleep.”

“Bossy,” the Black Ranger snips but he does make an effort be quiet and lay still.

They lay together in the dark, quiet stillness for a while, breathing slow and listening to the rain patter outside. It’s a little past midnight according to the digital clock next to the bed when Jason feels Zack shift again behind him. It jolts him out of his half-asleep haze and he frowns. “What’s wrong?”

Zack stills instantly, freezing like a statue. “Nothing,” he says but his voice sounds a bit hesitant. “I just thought I should probably go back to Leslie’s before she starts to worry-”

“You’re staying here tonight, Taylor,” Jason tells him, not bothering to turn over to face his teammate. “You can call her if you’re worried about it but you’re not leaving this house in weather like this. I’d rather not have to explain to Zordon and the others how you got struck by lightning.”

“I wouldn’t get struck by lightning,” Zack mumbles a little petulantly but he does lay back down with a long sigh.

Jason grabs the arm that’s still laid across his side and finds Zack’s hand, linking their fingers together. It’s a small, simple gesture but it causes his stomach to do an odd little flip that he can’t explain. He tells himself that it’s to make sure Zack doesn’t try to leave again but if he has ulterior motives no one needs to know about them. “Go to sleep,” he says again just as lightning illuminates the window behind them.

The other teen sighs and nods, squeezing Jason’s fingers lightly before relaxing back against the mattress. He rests his chin against Jason’s shoulder, nose and mouth brushing against the nape of his neck, and breathes deep as the storm rages on outside.

Once again, Zack is gone when Jason wakes up again the next morning. The clothes he’d let him borrow the night before are folded in a neat little pile on the dresser and one of Zack’s silver rings is sitting on top of them like a silent promise to return for it later. Jason smirks a bit and gets ready for school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! More to come soon!


	3. The Definition of Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not crazy, you know,” Zack says suddenly. The Black Ranger thinks for a second, frowns, and shrugs a bit. “I mean, I am. But I’m not crazy in the way people think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Hope you're having a good day! I wanted to use this chapter to play around with Zack's character a bit more. It's a bit glossed over in the movie so I just wanted to flesh him out a bit. Hope you all like it! :D

Jason doesn’t even bother locking his windows anymore. First, because he knows Zack can easily pick the lock and second, because he doesn’t want Zack to feel like he’s not welcome. The Black Ranger feels comfortable here, whether he’ll admit it or not, and Jason can’t take that away from him.

He’s come to expect Zack ducking through his window a few times a week. It’s not every night and sometimes he only stays for a few hours, but Zack has become a semi-regular fixture around Jason Scott’s house.

He sneaks in a little past 10:30 tonight, sliding the window open silently and stepping into the room. Jason is awake and waiting, lying on the bed and pretending to read a book. He never knows what to do in his own room now, never sure when or if Zack will decide to slip through his window from one night to the next, and he has the weird feeling that he should be doing _something_ when Zack comes in so it doesn’t look like he’s waiting for him.

Zack flashes a grin when he comes into the room, clearing the space between the window and the bed in two, long-legged steps. “Since when did you start reading Aristotle?” he asks, plucking the book from Jason’s hand and examining it briefly.

“About the same time you started tackling four syllable Greek names,” Jason retorts easily, the barb loose and playful between them.

“Damn,” Zack counters, quirking an eyebrow at the other boy. “Someone’s sassy tonight.” He sets the book on the bedside table and drops onto the mattress next to Jason, purposefully nudging him with his knee as he does so. Jason mutters something snippy under his breath and scoots over to give the other teen some more room.

“Ahh,” Zack lets out a sigh, sinking back against the mattress. “What did we ever do before Tempurpedic?”

“We slept on slabs of granite and died of abscessed splinters at the age of twenty,” Jason says, shoving a spare pillow toward his new bedmate.

“Good times,” the other Ranger replies, taking the offered pillow and stuffing it behind his head.

For a moment neither of them speak and they lay together in companionable semi-silence. The radio is on in one corner of the room and some podcast discussing the ups and downs of the current stock market is droning on in the background. It provides a decent amount of white noise and it’s boring and monotonous enough that neither of them have to pay much attention to it.

“How’s your mom today?” Jason asks after another second or so passes.

Zack’s smile dips just a little and shrugs one shoulder loosely. “She’s okay,” he answers vaguely and for a second it seems like he’s going to leave it there. Jason doesn’t push him; he knows how much Zack adores his mother but he also knows it’s a sensitive subject. He asks about her every time he sees Zack but he tries not to pry too much into a private matter if it’s not welcome.

“She had a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and they want to try putting her on a new medication they think might be more effective than the one she’s on now,” Zack continues after a second, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“I’m all for it, especially if it means she might start feeling better, but my mom…” he sighs and fades off quietly. “My mom is one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met in my life.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong,” Zack continues quickly, shaking his head a little as he speaks. “I love her to the ends of the earth. But she says the medication is too expensive and the stuff she’s taking now is just fine and blah, blah, blah.”

He sighs again and seems to sink further into the mattress. “I thought about calling her doctor and trying to figure out how to switch her prescription to the new stuff but I don’t have power of attorney and my mom is still well enough to make her own decisions so I doubt I’ll be able to get through to them.” He passes one hand over his eyes before raking it back through his hair. “Not only that, one look at my track record would pretty much disqualify me from important decisions. You must be of “sound mind” and all that,” he mumbles, making a show the air quotations that go around the word.

He drops his arms with a quiet huff and goes silent for a moment. His hair is now disheveled and mussed and one dark piece is sticking straight out above his forehead like an antenna. Jason stares at it silently, debating with himself on whether or not he should reach out and touch it.

“I’m not crazy, you know,” Zack says suddenly, pulling Jason out of his reverie. The Black Ranger thinks for a second, frowns, and shrugs a bit. “I mean, I am. But I’m not crazy in the way people think.”

It’s Jason’s turn to frown and he rolls on his side to look at Zack better. “What do you mean?”

For a moment Zack doesn’t answer, his expression blank and unreadable. Finally, he sighs and throws one arm above his head, rapping his knuckles against the wall lightly. “My mom got diagnosed when I was eleven. They caught it early, they said she would respond well to the treatment. She didn’t tell me she was sick for a long time; I think she was mostly just trying to protect me but also I think she didn’t want to admit it to herself. I mean, my mom is a strong lady, you know? She was never the type to accept defeat or excuses…”

Zack smiles a bit and shakes his head. “She raised me by herself and never asked anyone for help. So then when she found out she had this disease, well...I think it was just really hard for her to accept at first.”

He clears his throat softly and shifts a bit against the mattress. “When she finally told me that she was sick...I didn’t handle it well. What eleven-year-old kid would, right? I was scared, I was upset, and I was so, _so_ angry. It wasn’t fair, I just couldn’t understand why it was happening and why it was my mom and just…” he shakes his head again. “So I started acting out. In class, at school, pretty much anytime I was away from home. It was easier to make a scene than it was for me to sit quietly and deal with everything I was feeling.”

“I started pulling a lot of pranks when I was in school, wild stunts that made people think I was crazy.” He grins briefly and focuses up at the ceiling. “I climbed to the top of the library when I was in eighth grade and jumped off with a homemade parachute strapped to my back. It didn’t work obviously, and I fractured my ankle in the process but I gained the reputation for being the crazy kid in school and that’s what I wanted. It was so much easier being ‘Zack, the crazy kid’ than it was to be ‘Zack, the kid whose mom is dying.’”

Jason listens silently, mindful not to interrupt. This is the most he’s ever heard Zack speak about...well, anything really and he’s not going to interrupt him if he can help it. He does reach out though and brush his fingers along the other boy’s wrist, hooking one finger around Zack’s thumb like he’s holding onto him. The cold press of silver from Zack’s ring tingles against his skin when Zack squeezes back gently.

“My mom was mad at first, she couldn’t understand why I was acting out the way I was and I didn’t have the heart to tell her. She didn’t want to see me get kicked out of school or end up in juvie or worse. _I didn’t raise you just to watch you crash and burn_ , she used to say.”

Zack flips his hand slowly and gently links his fingers with Jason’s. Neither of them say anything about it. “She wanted me to finish high school and go to college and get a good job but none of that seemed to matter anymore. She was sick and she was dying and she was all I had and I just couldn’t bring myself to care about anything knowing that one day she would be gone.”

Zack sighs again quietly, thumb tracing the line of Jason’s finger absently. “But I love her, and I couldn’t let her think she’d failed in raising me, that I had turned out to be such a screwup. So I lie every morning and tell her I’m going to class and I make up stories about imaginary projects and tests and essays to make her think I’m actually learning something at that God forsaken school.”

He goes silent for a minute, eyes fixed on the ceiling and body slack against the mattress. “I think I might tell her the truth one day but for now it’s easier to lie.” For another long, silent moment, he doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything else. Then, finally, he lets his head tilt to the side so he meets Jason’s gaze. “You’re the only person I’ve ever told about this so don’t go spilling my secrets, got it?”

Jason nods once. “Got it.”

“Good.” The Black Ranger flashes him a familiar, brilliant grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It’s a hollow expression, a watercolor of his usual exuberance, but Jason doesn’t mention it. Zack brings their linked fingers up to his mouth and brushes his lips gently across the ridges of Jason’s knuckles. “I’m the crazy kid, remember? I have a reputation to keep.”

Jason chuckles softly in spite of himself, thankful for the dim light that obscures the flush of color the rushes to his cheeks. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”

They don’t talk anymore after that and Zack doesn’t leave. Instead, he lays still and stares at the ceiling, fingers still linked with Jason’s loosely. Jason copies his movements (or lack thereof) and lays still beside him, trying to give off the impression he’s not watching the other boy while still maintaining a relaxed posture.

It’s a little after midnight when Zack finally falls asleep, eyes slipping closed and breathing evening out. Jason watches him for a while, gaze flickering over his lax expression and closed eyes. When he’s awake Zack is always so animated and active, zipping from one thing to another in a blur of movement. Right now though, right now he looks exhausted and worn and vulnerable.

So yeah, maybe Jason curls against him a little in a silent, gentle effort to keep some of the evils of the world away from him for a while. And yeah, maybe Zack curls against him as well, tangling one hand loosely in the hem of Jason’s shirt. It’s comfortable for both of them and in the quiet silence of the room that’s all that matters.

Jason eventually gives in to his earlier impulse and reaches out slowly, carding his fingers through the other boy’s dark hair. That one wayward strand is still sticking out stubbornly and Jason resists the urge to smile. Everything about Zack is stubborn and unruly, even his hair. It’s endearing really. He passes his hand through his hair again and holds him close as he sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! More to come soon! :D


	4. I don't need your authority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Zordon reminds me of my dad,” Jason says finally, nudging a flaking piece of rusted metal with the toe of his shoe. “And not in a good way. He’s super critical and judgemental, condescending, loves to point out my faults and failures…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Okay, so I'm sorry if Zordon comes across as a bit of jerk in this chapter but he definitely seems the type to be stuck in the past and be super critical of anyone who doesn't do things his way. And I get the feeling Jason would probably catch the brunt of that as a fellow Red Ranger. Same thing with his dad; I don't think he's a bad guy but he definitely seems like a tough customer. Anyway, hope you all like it! :D

Their first kiss tastes like blood and cheap whiskey. They’re in the Angel Grove junk yard sitting on top of an old schoolbus that’s more rust than metal at this point. The sun had just set behind the horizon, casting the valley in a cool orange glow. It might have been romantic if Jason hadn’t been half-pissed all afternoon.

The training session had been brutal today. Zordon had given them a grim warning the day before, informing them that Rita was not only still alive but possibly planning her next attack. He told them he had reason to believe it would happen soon and that they needed to keep sharp and be on their guard at all times. They would need to train every day and continue to grow as a team if they were to stand a chance against the next creature she sent their way.

When they had arrived at the ship that day, Zordon had immediately ordered them down into The Pit, instructing Alpha to initiate Session 32, Simulation W, whatever that was. They found out soon enough when the room was suddenly filled with sharp-toothed, half-lizard, half-mole monsters. According to Zordon, this was the kind of creature Rita was most likely to send next and it was the perfect weapon against a town like Angel Grove because it could burrow through the bedrock and cast the entire town into a miles deep sinkhole. So yeah, that’s fun.

They had spent the better part of three hours trying to figure out how to keep the mole-lizards (molzards?) from going straight for the stone floor of The Pit and had spent another hour wrestling them off of each other. The creatures had long, sharp claws meant for cutting through stone and and clay and while they couldn’t quite puncture their armor, they could still latch on and cause some pretty painful scratches. By the end of the training session, all of them were scratched, bruised, and bloody.

Zordon had released the rest of the team but he made Jason stay behind. If he was being honest with himself, Jason was prepared for the lecture before it ever started. Zordon came down on him hard; he still didn’t think they were taking it seriously enough, that they were slacking off and not committing themselves to their duties as Rangers. He made it clear he questioned Jason’s ability to lead the team and that being the Red Ranger meant taking more responsibility and control than he thought the teenager possessed.

Jason had listened with a clenched jaw and balled fists, reeling in every ounce of anger and frustration he felt at being at the blunt end of yet another lecture. He got it at home, he got it at school, he got it here; honestly he was getting pretty fucking sick of being talked down to.

When he finally got off the ship, he was angry and shaking. The others were waiting for him at the entrance of the cave but the expression on his face caused them to keep any questions to themselves. The only one who bothered was Zack who clapped him on the back with a wide grin before they shot up into the water.

He was still fidgety by the time the made it back to quarry. Kim tried to talk to him and so did Billy and Jason appreciated their efforts but he just wasn’t in a very talkative mood. He offered them a wan smile in return and told them he was fine. It was clear they didn’t believe him but no one pushed it.

Trini pushed past him at one point, purposefully catching him in the ribs lightly with her elbow. “Zordon’s a jerk,” she muttered as she passed, shooting him a rare, very small smirk. “Don’t let him get to you.”

He did smile a little then and nodded as Trini walked past him and carefully ignored him like nothing happened. He followed them in relative silence the rest of the way to the car, trying not to look as broody and angsty as he felt. It didn’t work.

Jason stopped just at the crest of the hill, squinting at the expanse of the valley critically. He didn’t feel like going home yet but he didn’t want to stay out here. He felt trapped and cagey and he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do but he needed to do something because he kinda felt like putting his fist through a wall at the moment.

He felt Zack come up beside him and reach out to tap his elbow. “You’re lookin’ rather angsty, Red,” the Black Ranger noted with a lopsided grin. He nodded vaguely east, away from the car and the quarry and everything else.

“Let’s go somewhere.”

Jason frowned at that. “Where?”

“Exactly!” Zack agreed triumphantly, nudging his shoulder with one hand while waving at their teammates with the other. “You guys go ahead! We’ll catch up later!”

For a brief moment it looked like the dismissal wasn’t going to work. Billy still looked concerned and Kim looked suspicious and Trini looked like she had figured it out hours ago.

“Come on, nerds,” she called out to the others, grabbing Kim by the hand and lightly poking Billy in the shoulder to usher them toward the car. “These two need to man out and punch a rock or something and I don’t think I can handle that much testosterone all at once.”

If Jason didn’t know any better, he would have sworn he saw Trini flash a wink at Zack before the other Rangers retreated to the car. He blamed it on a trick of the light because he was pretty sure he saw Zack wink back.

“Come’on,” Zack said, turning back to face him. “You look like you could use a break.”

That’s how they ended up in the junkyard. It was a little over a mile away from the quarry and Zack led him along excitedly like a kid eager to show off a cool new hiding place. Jason was silently grateful for the change in location; with every step away from the ship and Zordon’s condescending words he felt more balanced and in control of himself. By the time they reached the junkyard he felt like himself again.

The school bus sat in the exact center of the junkyard, sticking out like a sore thumb, and Zack made a beeline for it. From his ease and familiarity with the layout of the lot, Jason had a feeling he’s been out here several times before. The bus was all broken windows and ripped up seats but there was a space in the back where about five of the bus seats had been removed that Zack had converted into a mini camp. There was a layer of blankets and a few dusty pillows tucked up against one corner and a weathered backpack filled with stale chips and a few bottles of water.

“I used to camp out here sometimes when I was a kid,” Zack told him when they came across the pile of blankets. “I haven’t been back in a couple years. Kinda glad to know this is still here.”

He grabbed one of the blankets and shook it out, tossing it over one shoulder carelessly while stepping up on one of the seats and pushing open the emergency hatch on the roof. He hopped a bit and pulled himself up onto top of the bus, Jason following a second or so later. Zack spread the blanket out over the expanse of the roof and together they sat on the top of the bus and watched as the sun set over Angel Grove.

“You wanna talk about it?” Zack asks after a few silent minutes have passed between them. He doesn’t look at Jason, preferring instead to keep his attention focused forward. He’s watching the other boy from the corner of his eye though.

Jason almost shakes his head. He really doesn’t want to talk about it but he feels like he owes it to Zack to talk about it so he wars with himself for a solid thirty seconds before giving in with a sigh. “Zordon reminds me of my dad,” he says finally, nudging a flaking piece of rusted metal with the toe of his shoe. “And not in a good way. He’s super critical and judgemental, condescending, loves to point out my faults and failures…”

Zack frowns a little. “Are we still talking about Zordon or your dad?”

Jason sighs again and shrugs loosely. “Both, I guess. It’s pretty interchangeable at this point.”

The Black Ranger nods once in understanding and pats Jason on the shoulder before standing and disappearing into the confines of the bus. He comes back a few seconds later with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. Jason doesn’t ask where he got it and Zack doesn’t tell.

“So what’s up with him?” Zack asks, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip. He winces, does a full body shudder, and passes it to Jason. “Your dad, I mean.”

Jason takes the bottle, smirking a little at the roughness of Zack’s voice, and takes a sip as well. He has the exact same reaction. The whiskey is warm and stout, hitting the back of his throat like liquid fire and dropping into his stomach like lead. He can feel it burn all the way down and it takes his breath away for a second.

“Jesus, man,” he says with a cough

“Good shit, right?”

“It’s like drinking napalm.”

“That’s how you know it’s good.”

Jason laughs softly at this and shakes his head. He keeps the bottle in his hand and watches the swish of liquid through the dark glass. “My dad has always been a hard man to get along with,” he says after a minute, setting the bottle on the blanket beside him. “He’s critical, short tempered, doesn’t know how to take a joke. He’s a good guy in the end but we’ve just never seen eye to eye.”

He sighs and passes a hand through his hair roughly. “He wanted me to get out of Angel Grove; it was something he never did. He had all the big, bright plans for me after high school; where I was going to go, what I was going to do, what my future was going to be.”

He smiles a little bitterly and shakes his head again. “The only problem is he never included _me_ in these plans. It was some version of me, yes; an idealized, perfect version of me. But it wasn’t _me_. He was so focused on his plans for me that it was like he forgot I was still here.”

“I didn’t really realize all of this until after the accident, you know?” Jason grabs the bottle impulsively, takes a sip, and passes it to Zack. He doesn’t shudder as much this time so that’s a plus. “I mean, yeah, I knew he’d be pissed but it was more than that. It was like I had personally wronged him, like he was the one being punished for my mistakes.”

Jason laughs humorlessly, a hollow, dry sound like dead leaves scraping against rotten wood. “He doesn’t let me forget it either. He finds some way to bring it up in every conversation we have. It’s been months since the accident and I still hear about it at least once a day from him. He rags on me constantly, bringing it up, reminding me, shoving it in my face and grinding it in. It’s like he’s obsessed with it.”

“And what’s the point, you know? His constant reminders aren’t going to change the fact that it happened, that I got busted for it. I mean, I was there, I’m pretty much the expert on what happened that night. But no,” Jason fades off for a second and glares at the first few dots of street lights that appear in the town below. “My dad will keep reminding me of how much of a screw up I am until something else comes along for him to rag on me for.”

Zack listens to him silently and takes a swig from the bottle. He nudges it against Jason’s shoulder and passes it back to him. “And Zordon?”

Jason scoffs softly and takes the offered bottle. “Zordon is just as bad. He was a Red Ranger too so he automatically assumes that everything I do is wrong because it’s different from how he would have done it. He’s still hung up on his own team and can’t see that things have changed and he’s not in charge of our team. He still thinks he should be though and because of that he comes down on me. He questions every decision I make and makes it pretty damn clear he doesn’t think I’ll make a good leader. I mean, I’ve thought the same thing but the constant reminders certainly don’t help.”

It’s Zack’s turn to scoff and he shakes his head. “Bullshit.”

Jason frowns a little and takes a sip from the bottle. “Bullshit?”

“Yeah,” the Black Ranger says, stealing the whiskey again. “Bullshit.” He takes a deep pull from the bottle and sets it next to his leg. “Look man, I can’t tell you what to do about your dad but I can tell you what you should do about Zordon. Tell him to shove it up his creepy, disembodied ass. He wants to drone on about what makes a good leader when he couldn’t even keep his own team alive. We fought Rita and won, dude, not Zordon. So yeah, in my book that makes you a pretty damn good leader and Zordon’s a freakin’ idiot if he can’t see that.”

Jason says nothing for a second, cheeks burning slightly at the compliment. It makes him feel a little giddy and lightheaded and he contemplates blaming it on the alcohol. “Thanks, man,” he says finally, bumping his shoulder against Zack’s.

The other Ranger smirks at him and bumps back. “Anytime, dude.” He passes the bottle back to Jason and stretches out on his back along the roof of the bus. “Zordon’s just pissed because he’s not the boss anymore and he’s stuck as a disembodied head in a multi-billion year old ship. Dude’s got angst!”

He reaches up blindly and snags a handful of Jason’s shirt, tugging him down onto the roof with him. Jason loses his balance momentarily at the sudden change in gravity but regains it quickly. He shifts and shuffles around for a moment to get more comfortable and finds the best position is pressing close against Zack’s shoulder.

“It just all seems so inconsequential sometimes, you know? This town, high school, all the drama that goes into it...” he muses quietly, staring up at the stars beginning to poke through the inky darkness above. He holds up one hand and spreads his fingers wide, measuring the scatter of stars in the space between each finger. “I mean a few weeks ago I didn’t even think aliens existed and now we’re regularly visiting a spaceship in the afternoon because we’re an elite group of intergalactic superheroes.” He smiles a little and lets his head fall to the side to meet Zack’s gaze. “Pretty unbelievable, huh?”

“Yeah,” the other teen agrees quietly. There’s a look on his face, one Jason can’t identify, but it makes his stomach do a lazy flip and his heart rattle against his ribs. “Pretty unbelievable.”

Neither of them are sure who moves first, maybe it was both, but the space between them closes and their lips meet briefly. The kiss is soft and tentative at first, unsure and hesitant like neither is sure how the other will react. When it doesn’t devolve into disgust or punches from either side, the next kiss is bolder.

Zack’s hand moves up and he tangles his fingers in Jason’s hair, carding them through the thick, sandy curls. Jason’s hands are gripping his shoulders tight enough to hurt and had it not been for their newfound powers he’s pretty sure he would have left bruises. He hangs onto Zack like a drowning man and drinks him in.

He can taste the afterburn of whiskey on Zack’s tongue and the coppery tang of blood from the split lip he got during their training session in The Pit. It amplifies the experience further and he savors the flavor of blood and whiskey and Zack.

When they finally break apart, it’s to gasp and ground themselves back in reality. This wasn’t the result of the whiskey and it wasn’t because of the conversation, it was something that had been building for weeks. It’s cathartic and exhilarating all at once and for a few moments neither of them say anything.

“So I probably could have chosen a better place to do this that doesn’t give us at least a 73% chance of tetanus,” Zack jokes after a second with a quick, flustered laugh.

Jason rolls his eyes and clears the space between them again. “I’ll take my chances,” he says, pulling the other boy in for another kiss. His fingers are tangled in Zack’s shirt and Zack’s hands are in his hair and it’s blinding and intense and he forgets about everything for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! :D


	5. Stick around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are we doing?” Zack says, stressing the word as he speaks. He gestures vaguely between the two of them and then lets his hand drop to his lap. “Us. You and me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you're doing well! So I'll go ahead and apologize if Zack comes across as OOC in this chapter; vulnerability is always weird to write. Hopefully it's okay though! :D

“What are we doing?” Zack asks one night out of the blue, not meeting Jason’s eyes and instead choosing to stare out over the expanse of the neighborhood in front of them.

Jason frowns a little at the question because the answer is rather obvious. “Eating cold pizza and drinking warm soda,” he says simply, nudging said pizza box with one finger.

The statement falls flat and Zack flicks a piece of pizza crust to a bird hovering at the edge of the shingles. It snaps it up with a soft little chirup and flutters away into the trees.

It’s a little after dusk and they’re sitting on Jason’s roof, backs pressed up against the side of the house. Jason had the house pretty much to himself tonight and didn’t have to worry about anyone coming home until much later. He knew Zack was coming over so he ordered pizza and climbed out the window onto the roof to meet him. The Black Ranger showed up a little after 5:30 and cleared the jump up to the ledge of the roof effortlessly, tucking himself against the side of the house and stretching out his legs.

He had been unusually pensive for most of the afternoon though, quieter than usual and more thoughtful. Jason had tried to pry whatever was bothering him out for a solid half hour before giving up. He knew it wasn’t Zack’s mom and he knew it wasn’t Zack but he wasn’t sure what else it could be. He fretted about it for over an hour before Zack finally spoke up.

“No, I mean what are we _doing_?” the other Ranger says again, stressing the word as he speaks. He gestures vaguely between the two of them and then lets his hand drop to his lap. “Us. You and me.”

“Oh,” Jason says simply, finally understanding the true nature of the question. Their kiss in the junkyard had happened a little over two weeks ago and they never really discussed it. Zack still showed up at his house more nights than not and they would tangle up together in Jason’s bed but the actual nature of their relationship, whatever it was/is had never been discussed.

To be honest, Jason isn’t really sure how to answer. He knows how _he_ hopes the conversation will go but he’s not sure about Zack. The other teen is difficult to read; he’s an open book some days and Fort Knox others. He likes what they have and he thought Zack did too but now he’s not so sure.

“Well,” Jason starts slowly, trying to keep his voice even. “What do you want to be doing?” he asks finally and it seems like an open enough question to allow for answers in any direction.

Zack sighs and slumps against the side of the house heavily. “I don’t know, man,” he answers and Jason feels a tiny knot begin to form in the pit of his stomach. “Like, are we just weirdly close friends with a semi-romantic relationship or are we something more serious than that or...what? I mean don’t get me wrong, I understand the whole bi-curious thing and all but it’d just be nice to know what level we’re on, you know? Like I don’t want to waste your time and I don’t want you to waste mine so what are we doing?”

Jason watches him carefully, analyzing his expression. Zack is vulnerable right now, confused and unsure, and he’s trying so hard to act like this isn’t bothering him but it’s painfully obvious that it is. Jason has never seen this side of him before and it’s so different from how his cocky, headstrong teammate usually is that it worries him.

“What do you want?” Jason asks again and the question earns him a short, bitter scoff.

“God,” Zack mutters, shaking his head slowly. “It’s not what I want, Jason. It’s what you want. Do you really want to get mixed up with a crazy dropout who lives in a rundown trailer park and camps out in rusted school buses?

Do you want to keep pretending like I’m a functional person who can provide you with a healthy, stable relationship when I can barely keep myself together sometimes?”

The remarks are bitter and stinging, not so much toward Jason but toward Zack. He’s never heard Zack talk like this, be so critical and scathing of himself, and it’s jarring. The Red Ranger frowns and shakes his head. “Zack, what are you-?”

“I can’t keep doing this if it’s just a fling, Jas, I’m sorry but I can’t. It’s messing with my head and all these crazy, mixed up feelings I have for you are like this constant white noise and I just...I need an answer, okay? What do you want?”

“You!” Jason blurts suddenly, cutting off anything else Zack was about to say. The answer is so painfully, glaringly obvious but apparently not enough. “I want you, you idiot,” he continues, a bit gentler this time. “This isn’t a joke or an experiment or a way to pass the time. I’m with you because I _want_ to be with you.”

He shakes his head slightly before continuing. “Listen man, I don’t know if you’ve changed your mind or if you’re having second thoughts or what but my feelings for you haven’t changed. I’m with you because I want to be,” he says again, catching the other boy’s hesitant, wary gaze. “No ulterior motives.”

He swallows thickly, suddenly unsure of himself, and clears his throat. “I mean, is that okay? Is that what you want too?”

The other Ranger nods almost instantly, a quick bob of his head. “Of course it is. More than anything.”

Jason lets out a startled yet relieved laugh. “Great. Because that’s all I’ve wanted since this started.”

A smile, barely noticeable smile tugs at the corner of Zack’s mouth and it’s like his usual self is trying to poke through. “Seriously?”

The Red Ranger smirks just a little and nudges his shoulder against Zack’s. “Yeah, believe it or not I’ve grown pretty fond of your crazy ass.”

“That’s a first,” Zack says with a flippant half-smile. “Most people head for the hills once they get a dose of my craziness.”

“Not going anywhere,” Jason tells him with another soft laugh. “There was a time not too long ago when I wanted nothing more than to get as far away from this town as I possibly could,” he says, looking out over the rooftops lining the neighborhood. He smiles a little, maybe to himself, and glances at Zack out of the corner of his eye. “Think I’ve found a reason to stick around though.”

That earns him a real, genuine smile from his teammate and Zack shakes his head. “God, you got sappy all of a sudden. It’s gross.” He smirks and leans over to close the space between them, catching Jason’s lips in a soft, almost tentative kiss. “It’s starting to grow on me.”

Jason chuckles against his mouth and sweeps his fingers through the other boy’s thick, dark hair. “I can get more flowery and sentimental if you want. We just finished our Shakespeare unit in Mr. Rothsbough’s class so I’m reasonably certain I could compare you to a summer’s day.”

“Pass,” Zack mutters before tugging Jason forward and deepening the kiss. “Shakespeare is overrated,” he mumbles, nipping at the other boy’s bottom lip as Jason clings to him tightly.

It takes a lot of effort to not fall off the roof while making out and after the second near miss they decide to abandon the roof in favor of retreating inside to the bedroom. This thing between them is still new and a little tentative at times but neither of them back down and the intensity of the pursuit never waivers. It’s still just as exhilarating every time.

They’re stretched out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with their fingers interlocked. It feels comfortable and familiar by this point. It feels right.

“Did you mean what you said earlier,” Zack asks quietly after a few silent seconds have passed. “About staying?”

Jason smirks and presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Sure did.”

It earns him a lopsided grin in return. “Good. I’m not used to people sticking around for too long, it’s kind of a nice feeling.”

“Well, get used to it cause I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! More to come soon!


	6. Death is only temporary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We thought you were dead,” Billy tells him, voice wavering just a bit as he speaks. 
> 
> “He was dead,” Alpha informs them helpfully, scanning Jason once more. “For 93.7 seconds there was no detectable heartbeat. So yeah, technically dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Hope you're doing well! This chapter is basically just an excuse for me to kick the crap out of Jason so lots of gratuitous whump! Hope you all like it! :D

Jason is technically dead for over a minute and a half. He doesn’t remember much of anything at first, just snippets of voices and pain and then darkness. It’s jumbled and confusing like a fleeting dream that already halfway gone upon waking. He opens his eyes and he’s on the floor of the ship, Billy and Kim and Alpha hovering over him anxiously. Trini’s hand is gripping his ankle tight enough to bruise but then again everything feels bruised so what’s one more, right?

He groans and it feels like he’s been hit by a train (again) and every single muscle and bone in his body aches all the way down to his core. His hair feels tacky along one temple and judging from the knife-sharp flares of pain in his side he’s guessing he has at least one cracked rib, maybe two. One knee is also throbbing violently and he doesn’t think his leg is broken but it probably came very close. Everything else feels remarkably whole and intact, if bruised to high holy hell, and he figures that’s a plus.

Maybe.

“Ow…” he grumbles and he hears Kim (or maybe it’s Trini) let out a half-hysterical little laugh.

“Jesus, don’t you _ever_ do that again,” Kim (Trini?) exhales in a long, relieved sigh.

“We thought you were dead,” Billy tells him, voice wavering just a bit as he speaks. One hand is resting against Jason’s shoulder and his eyes are wide and still somewhat anxious.

“He was dead,” Alpha informs them helpfully, scanning Jason once more. “For 93.7 seconds there was no detectable heartbeat. So yeah, technically dead.”

“Thanks, Alpha,” Jason mumbles.

“Glad to help,” the droid replies pleasantly

“Welcome back, Mr. Scott,” a deep voice booms and Jason tilts his head up just enough to the see the large, looming face of Zordon hovering above him. “Your team was quite concerned for your wellbeing. Myself and Alpha included.”

“Sorry about that, guys,” Jason groans again, shifting a bit against the metal floor beneath him. He flings one arm up in an uncoordinated kind of flail and nearly smacks  
Kim in the face. “Sorry,” he says again, dragging his arm back and bending it at the elbow, trying, unsuccessfully, to push himself up on said elbow.

“Whoa, whoa, Jason hold on,” Billy tells him hurriedly, reaching out and planting a hand on Jason’s shoulder again. “Dude, listen to me. As someone who has been dead before I feel comfortable telling you you should probably lay still for a few minutes.”

The Red Ranger shakes his head slightly and winces. “I’m okay, I promise,” he tells Billy, reaching up to pat the other boy’s hand gently. “Just...help me up, okay? I don’t think I can sit up on my own just yet.”

 

Billy nods and looks at Kim. Between the two of them they manage to loop their arms around Jason’s shoulders and help him sit up. Every inch feels like a mile and Jason is clenching his teeth and sweating by the time he’s upright. He sways a little and he hears Billy, Trini, and Kim shout his name in alarm. He reaches out blindly, grabbing someone’s arm, and it helps steady him after a second.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” he tells them all repeatedly and on top of reassuring his teammates, he seems to be reassuring Alpha and Zordon as well. Both are watching him carefully and although it’s difficult to tell, they look concerned.

Jason winces again and frowns, looking around the ship quickly. He feels his stomach drop somewhere to the vicinity of his feet. “Where’s Zack?”

The others look around like they’ve suddenly noticed they’re missing a Ranger and their concern and confusion doubles.

“He was just here,” Kim tells him, looking back toward the entrance. “He was the one who brought you in, he dug you out of the rubble himself.”

“I thought he was going to bring the rest of the mountain down on top of you,” Billy chimes in, following Kim’s gaze.

Jason frowns in confusion. “Wait, rubble? Mountain? What the hell happened?”

Billy looks back at him, concern bleeding into his expression. “You don’t remember? Oh, that’s bad. That’s bad, guys. Memory loss is a sure sign of head trauma, we need to get him to a hospital-”

“Billy,” Jason says, gently cutting off his friend. “I’m fine, I swear. Just tell me what happened.”

The Blue Ranger doesn’t look convinced by the other teen’s reassurance but he lets it go. For now. “Remember those things we fought in The Pit the other day? Well, Rita sent one. A _big_ one.”

Jason has a brief snippet of memory, an image of a giant molzard the size of a wooly mammoth appearing in the quarry next to the mine. They had been fighting it, trying to keep it from burrowing like they had during their training session, and Jason had somehow gotten separated from the group and was fighting with it on his own in his Zord.

He remembers a mine shaft and grappling with the beast as it slammed him against the wall of the tunnel over and over. There had been sounds of crunching metal and creaking support beams and then just darkness. Things got a little fuzzy after that and he feels like that was probably right around the time he had his near death experience.

“It was going for one of the mining tunnels, easy access and all that,” Billy continues, gesturing vaguely with one hand. It matches up to the few memories Jason has of the event so he’s guessing all of that really happened and it wasn’t in his head. “And I’m guessing you got in front of it and were trying to stop it and it-”

“Brought a couple tons of dirt and mineshaft down on top of you,” Trini finishes, her attention still turned away from them and looking back toward the entrance like she’s still searching for their missing teammate.

“Zack was closest to you,” Kim cuts in, continuing the story where her girlfriend left off. “He saw it happen. Had it not been for your Zord you definitely would have been dead. Zack ran over to help you while we dealt with the molzard.”

Kim’s eyes narrow a bit and her expression darkens. “We could hear him on the comm the whole time as he was digging you out...we all thought you were dead.”

“The Zord protected you from most of the damage and your suit took up the rest but your oxygen system was seriously impaired during the collapse and you were barely breathing by the time Zack got to you,” Billy tells him, his eyes flickering over Jason once more. “By the time we got you to the cave, you had stopped.”

Jason winces again; hearing about his temporary death was an odd experience. “Okay, so you guys brought me back here, then what?”

“Well...then you woke up,” Billy tells him with a small shrug. “Believe me, it felt like a lot longer.”

The Red Ranger nods and immediately regrets it when it makes his head spin again. He feels Kim plant a hand in between his shoulders and it makes him feel marginally more stable. “And Zack disappeared sometime between then and now?”

Kim and Billy exchange a helpless look and nod. “He was here just a few seconds ago, Jas,” Billy tells him apologetically.

“He panicked,” Trini says suddenly, her eyebrows knit together. “I think the anxiety and adrenaline were too much and he freaked out. I thought I saw him leave once we were sure you were breathing again but I wasn’t really paying attention.” She looks a little ashamed by the admission but shakes her head. “Jason, I’ve never seen him like that. He was completely out of it…”

“It’s okay, Trini,” he tells her, offering the younger girl a weak smile. “We’ll find him.” He starts to push himself up and is immediately met with a cacophony of voices telling him not to do that.

“No, Jason, you stay put,” Kim scolds, keeping on hand on him at all times like she’s anticipating him leaping up and making a break for the door the second she lets go.

“Trini and I will go find Zack, you stay here.”

Jason opens his mouth to protest but gets cut off by Zordon’s low, booming voice. “Your friends are right, Jason,” the former Ranger tells him. “Your injuries are not as severe as they could have been but you are still injured. You need time to rest and heal, otherwise your team will be left without a leader.”

Jason considers insisting he’s fine again (although he’s seriously starting to doubt anyone believes him) but there’s a sudden twinge in his ribs that makes him hiss and double a bit and he knows he won’t be of any use searching for Zack if he’s crippled with pain and teetering on the brink of passing out again.

“Jason,” Billy’s voice cuts through the haze of pain and he lets out a shuddery, painful breath before looking up at the other boy. The Blue Ranger is watching him closely, eyes sharp with concern, and he grips his friend’s arm lightly. “Please.”

That’s all it takes. The fear and anxiety and desperation is literally bleeding into Billy’s voice and Jason doesn’t have the heart to say no to him. As much as he wants to find Zack and make sure he’s okay, he can’t ignore his team either. “Okay,” he relents finally with a small nod. “Okay, you’re right.”

Billy looks relieved and he pats Jason’s arm gently. “Take it from me, man, being dead will wipe you out. I know from experience.”

Kim digs one hand into her pocket and pulls out her car keys. “Here, take my car,” she says, passing the keys to Billy and glancing back at Jason. “Get him home and make sure he stays there, okay? We’ll find Zack and meet up with you guys later.”

Billy nods and pockets the keys, turning back to Jason and kneeling down to help him stand. It takes much longer than it should and Jason nearly collapses twice but eventually, with Billy and Kim and Trini’s help, he’s able to stand upright. He’s breathing hard and trembling but he’s standing and that’s progress.

“Come on, man,” Billy says softly, keeping one arm looped securely around Jason’s waist. “Let’s get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't panic guys! Zack will be in the next chapter I promise!!


	7. Stay with me (cause you're all I need)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’ve been so worried sick about you. Where did you go?”
> 
> Zack balks just slightly at the statement and shakes his head. “You were worried about me? You had a fuckin’ mountain collapse on top of you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! So this is the last chapter for this story! I might come back and write more for these two later but this is the end for now! Thank you all so much for reading! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! :D

It feels like it takes hours to get to the car and Jason has to stop several times to keep from passing out. Billy is right; being dead really drains you.

He feels like every inch of his body is bruised and his bones ache and protest every movement. His cracked ribs are flaring mercilessly by the time the reach the car and

Jason collapses gracelessly into the front seat, fighting the urge to be sick as he does. He knows for a fact Kim will kick his ass if he throws up in her car though so he manages to keep everything down and not ruin the upholstery.

He thinks he falls asleep (or loses consciousness) at some point on the ride back because one minute they’re at the mine and the next they’re in his driveway and Billy is cutting the ignition. The Blue Ranger frets and frowns for a minute, mumbling to himself about whether or not he should have taken Jason to the hospital instead of his house, but Jason reaches out and pats his wrist in two short thumps as if to say the house was the better option.

Billy doesn’t appear convinced but he doesn’t push the issue either, choosing instead to duck out of the car and come around to the passenger side to retrieve his injured friend. Jason nearly topples out of the car the second the door opens and it’s only thanks to both of their enhanced reflexes that he doesn’t end up face-first on the ground.  
It takes a second but Billy manages to get him back up and semi-functional and guides him in the direction of the front door.

Jason’s dad will be out in the bay until tomorrow at the earliest and his mom is working a night shift tonight. He has no idea where his little sister is, probably over at a friend’s house if he were guessing, but that means the house is empty when they come staggering in through the front door. Which is great because that means he doesn’t have to explain himself when he loses his battle with being sick and politely vomits in the foyer.

It drains him of what little energy he has left and he sags heavily against Billy, nearly passing out again before the other Ranger can steady him. “I’ll clean it up later,” he mumbles thickly, squeezing his eyes shut against another wave of pain and dizziness. Billy just nods and tightens his grip, leading Jason further into the house and toward the staircase.

The stairs nearly prove to be his undoing and by the time they reach the final landing, Billy is all but carrying him. His cracked ribs are a constant stab of white-hot agony and his busted knee gives out on the second step. He’s shaking with exertion by the time they get to the second floor and Billy is literally the only thing keeping him upright.

They nudge their way into his bedroom and make it the three or four steps it takes to get to the bed before Jason loses consciousness again. He hears Billy say his name, at least he thinks he does, but he doesn’t have the energy to respond.

His awareness comes back in fleeting, short intervals through the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. He’ll regain consciousness just enough to hear quiet, muffled voices but his pain and sleep addled brain can’t make sense of what they’re saying.

He knows he hears Kim at least once and Trini a couple of times. Billy’s voice is right above him like he’s sitting beside him on the bed but Jason can’t be sure. They’re all speaking quietly and he desperately wants to be a bit more lucid to contribute to the conversation and ask if they’ve found Zack but, as it is, he slips under again and doesn’t hear anything else for a long time.

When he wakes up again a few hours later it’s dark and the room is empty. He has no idea what time it is but it must be late because the house is quiet and still.

He groans and pushes himself up onto one elbow, which hurts like hell but he doesn’t quite feel like he’s going to pass out again like he did earlier in the day so he figures that’s some progress at least. In fact, most of his injuries feel like they’ve healed a bit within the past few hours, no longer as severe and mind-numbingly painful.

He figures it has something to do with their Power Coins but he’s too tired to really focus on it at the moment. Whatever the explanation, he’s grateful; granted, he still feels like he’s been thrown out of a moving car and then backed over by said car but his pain level has shifted from about 13 down to a solid 9.5.

It takes an absurd amount of effort to push himself all the way up but he does it without assistance and feels weirdly proud of himself for it. There’s a sheet of notebook paper on the mattress next to him that he hadn’t noticed before and he picks it up and reads the message scrawled across the middle of it in Kim’s elegant script.

_Jason,_   
_Out searching for Zack. Stay in bed, we’ll be back soon. Don’t do anything stupid._   
_Kim_

He almost smiles at the note but feels the expression fall flat when he realizes it means they still haven’t located their missing Ranger. He frowns and locates his cellphone in the pocket of his jeans, pulling up the home screen with a swipe of his thumb. Amazingly it still works; he’d been half-expecting it to be a useless pile of plastic and circuitry after everything that happened today.

It takes a second for him to get to the correct screen and the correct number (he’s still clumsy and uncoordinated thanks to his injuries) but manages to pull up Zack’s contact information and get a call through. The other line rings once before immediately connecting to voicemail and Jason feels the knot in his stomach twist again.

“Zack, man, call me back when you get this,” he says as the voicemail connects on the other end. “Everyone’s out looking for you. We’re really worried about you.” He pauses and amends his statement. “ _I’m_ really worried about you. Just...call me back, okay?”

Jason drops the phone onto his bed and slowly, carefully turns so he’s sitting on the edge of the mattress. He knows Kim told him to stay put but he can’t just sit around and wait while Zack is still missing. He needs to be out there helping them look, not laying down in bed.

He braces himself against the edge of the mattress for several second before finally pushing himself up to standing. The room tilts sickeningly around him and he worries, rather belatedly, that he might pass out again but he manages to stay standing.

His room suddenly seems enormous and it takes what feels like a ridiculous amount of time to shuffle over to his dresser and locate a clean change of clothes. The shirt and jeans he’s currently wearing are destroyed, filthy with blood and dirt and dust. He’ll get rid of them tomorrow when he has a bit more energy but for now he’ll just leave them in the bathroom hamper.

Keeping the new clothes tucked under one arm, he staggers out of his bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom. He passes his sister’s room and sees she’s asleep so he makes a concentrated effort to keep his stumbling as quiet as possible to avoid waking her and having to answer a lot of unnecessary questions. He reaches the bathroom, closes the door, and slumps a bit against the sink to keep himself upright.

In spite of feeling marginally better than he did earlier in the day, his reflection in the light of the bathroom looks terrible. There’s a nearly healed cut above one eyebrow and a deep, mottled bruise the covers one whole side of his head. Probably explains all the dizziness; he’s reasonably certain it was the result of a concussion.

There’s dried blood in his hair and a long, shallow cut across his scalp that extends from his temple to about three inches back behind his ear. It’s been cleaned and dressed though, all of his injuries have, and he’s pretty sure that’s either Kim or Trini’s handiwork. He makes a mental note to thank them later.

He doesn’t look much better with his clothes off either. His chest and arms are splotched with dark, ugly bruises and there’s one particularly colorful collection over the ribs on his left side. So definitely some broken ribs. Cool.

His right knee is about the same color and roughly the size of a softball, the swelling extending all the way to the back. He can’t put much pressure on it but it’s not immediately threatening to collapse which is good. It probably won’t hold out for long though so he gets changed as quickly as he can (which still takes several minutes) and drops his dirty, bloody clothes into the hamper.

It’s going to take some effort getting back to the bedroom and Jason braces himself for the short but intense journey. Keeping one hand pressed against the wall, he slowly staggers his way back down the hall toward his room. He freezes when he gets to the doorway.

Zack is standing in the middle of his room, outlined in darkness and the glow of the hall light. He’s still dressed in the clothes he was wearing before the fight and he doesn’t look injured but his posture is definitely tense and rigid. His eyes land on Jason and a number of quick, fleeting emotions cross his face in the span of a second. Relief, concern, irritation, happiness; it’s all there and gone within the blink of an eye.

Jason is so relieved to see him he forgets his bum knee and tries to take a step forward. “Zack,” he breathes but that’s all he gets out before his knee buckles and his vision goes blurry. He’s falling before he can stop himself.

Zack clears the space between them in an instant and catches him under his arms, pulling him against his chest to keep him upright. “Easy, easy,” he breathes against  
Jason’s temple, fingers tangling themselves in the other boy’s shirt. “I gotcha.”

Jason is clinging to him too, hands clenched into tight fists against Zack’s back. “Where have you been?” he asks breathlessly, burying his face and the side of the taller boy’s throat briefly to quell some of the dizziness. His eyes feel wet and his vision is blurry and if he’s crying then fuck it, it’s been a long day. “We’ve been so worried sick about you. Where did you go?”

Zack balks just slightly at the statement and shakes his head. “You were worried about _me_? You had a fuckin’ mountain collapse on top of you!”

“We didn’t know where you were,” Jason continues, oblivious to Zack’s words. He clings to him tighter. If it sounds overly emotional he blames it on being dead for a few minutes.

Zack sighs softly and presses his cheek against the top of Jason’s head. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles quietly. “I’ll explain everything let’s just…” he stops and readjusts his grip on Jason, holding him as tightly as he can without hurting him. “Let’s get you back to bed, alright?”

Jason doesn’t get a chance to protest as Zack practically carries him over to the bed and sets him down on the mattress. He hovers right in front of him, hands passing over his face, his chest, his arms, and he laughs a little brokenly. “Wow, Red, you’re a mess.”

Jason reaches out and catches him by the wrist, squeezing just a little. He wants to keep one hand on him at all times to make sure he doesn’t vanish into thin air again.  
“I’m told that’s what happens after a mine collapse,” he jokes weakly and it falls a little flat between them.

The Black Ranger looks briefly horrified, as if abruptly remembering the events from earlier in the day, and he shakes his head slowly. “Yeah, don’t remind me,” he mutters grimly, reaching up to cup Jason’s cheek gently.

Jason leans into it, covering Zack’s hand with his own. “Where did you go?” he asks again, leveling his gaze with Zack’s. “The others have been searching for you for hours.”

Zack hesitates for a second before he speaks, clearly weighing his answer. “I panicked,” he admits finally, gaze dropping to the floor. He looks embarrassed and ashamed and regretful all at once. “After we got you back to the ship and I was sure you were okay I just...I thought I was going to have a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see straight...I didn’t know what I was doing, I just ran.”

He moves one hand to grip Jason’s, squeezing tightly like he needs to convince himself he’s there and alive. “I didn’t mean to leave, I just... I felt like I was drowning. I knew you were breathing but I felt like I was suffocating and I panicked and ran. I don’t even remember leaving the mine or the quarry or anything like that. I just ended up on the other side of town pacing in an alley. By the time I got back, everyone was gone and the ship was empty.”

He lets out a long, slow breath and shakes his head again. “I didn’t know what to do so I came here.” He looks back up and Jason and his eyes are dark with anxiety and obvious fear. He presses a hard, desperate kiss to the back of his knuckles. “God, I thought I was going to lose you...”

The admission makes something in Jason’s chest clench and he squeezes the other Ranger’s hand in reassurance. “Hey,” he says gently, ducking down and catching Zack’s lips in a soft kiss. He tastes blood and he’s not sure if it’s his own or Zack’s but he doesn’t bring it up. “I’m okay. I’m fine, I promise,” he tells him even though he knows for a fact he looks like lukewarm death.

“But you _weren’t_ ,” Zack insists against his lips, voice thready and fragile when he speaks. He shakes his head and kisses him back and cups his face with both hands.

“Jason, your heart stopped. I felt it. I thought you were going to die or that you were dead already. It was like watching Billy drown all over again and I just…” he fades off and clears his throat quietly. “I couldn’t do that again. I couldn’t handle it.”

He hesitates briefly before closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to Jason’s. “You have to understand, man, I’m not used to caring about anyone but me and my mom,” he mumbles quietly, thumbs brushing ever so gently across Jason’s temples when he speaks.

“This whole team thing...it’s new to me, it’s not something I’m familiar with, but watching something happen to you guys, watching something happen to _you_ ,” he says, emphasizing the last word with a small shake of his head. “That terrifies me.”

He smiles wanly and lets out a shaky breath. “I can handle a lot of things, man; aliens, superpowers, creatures of the week...but watching you get hurt? Knowing how easily you could have died today? I can’t handle that. I’m strong, Jas, but I’m not that strong…”

Jason feels like a ball of lead settles in his stomach. He can’t imagine what Zack must have felt when he was digging him out, not knowing if he was alive or how badly he was injured. He knows he would have been a complete wreck had their roles been reversed, if he had been the one pulling Zack out of the mine, and if that’s even a fraction of the panic and desperation Zack felt earlier today then Jason fully understands the fear he feels now.

“I’m sorry,” is all he can say, reaching out and tangling his fingers in Zack’s dark hair. His shoulders ache and the movement is stiff and jerky but Zack’s hair is soft and warm against his fingers and he slides them through slowly. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I’m sorry…”

Zack shakes his head slowly and takes one of Jason’s hands, pressing a soft kiss to his palm. “Just promise me you’ll never do that again,” he pleads shakily, trying for a half-smile and failing.

Jason tries to smile as well but it hurts and causes a cramp in his jaw. “Not an experience I’m looking to repeat, believe me.” He leans down and catches the other boy’s lips in another kiss, still holding onto him tightly. The gravity is a bit too much though and he sways a bit following the lean, nearly toppling off the bed and into Zack’s chest again.

The Black Ranger reacts quickly and moves up onto the bed, pushing Jason very carefully further back onto the mattress. He snakes one arm around him gently and pulls him down onto the bed so they’re both stretched out across the mattress. “Stop moving,” he mumbles softly, lips brushing against Jason’s temple as he speaks. “You’re going to make it worse.”

Jason obliges and goes still, mainly to make Zack happy but also because what little energy he had left is draining out of him faster than he can keep up with it. He feels heavy and boneless again, weighed down with balls of lead and iron chains. Zack is with him though, curled against his side and his arms wrapped around him, and that outweighs everything else.

“You need to call the others,” he mutters, voice slurred a little as exhaustion tugs at him again. “They’re worried sick.”

“You need to go back to sleep,” Zack retorts gently but he does reach into his phone and type out a text message to their teammates. Once it’s been sent, he settles back onto the mattress and holds Jason close, listening to him breathe while keeping one hand resting above his heart.

Jason reaches up and covers his hand with his own. “I’m okay,” he assures him with a small, tired smile.

Zack nods once and leans forward to kiss him again. “Just making sure, Red,” he says, laying back down beside him. His phone chirps a few times from his pocket, a sure sign that their teammates have gotten the message and are on their way back, but Zack doesn’t answer. He keeps his focus on Jason and nothing else.

The Red Ranger is slowly but surely losing his battle with the waking world again and he knows he won’t be able to fight it off much longer. He squeezes Zack’s hand gently while he still has the energy to do so. “Stay with me, okay?”

Zack just nods and pulls him close. “Not goin' anywhere, Red.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading guys! Y'all are the best! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading guys! More to come soon!
> 
> If you like fandom trash you should come find me on Tumblr: atlantisburning


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